NEWS
SMOKING
BUNS...
Apparently siting is the new smoking,
in as much as it's really rather bad for
your health. As reported by Diabetes
Health based on a news agency report
on research at an Israeli university, it may
be that one of the last things we want to
hear where most of us work seated at a
desk or table, is that the way we work
is probably contributing to the current
epidemic obesity.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University's
Department of Biomedical Engineering
think that their insight into fat cell
mechanics may open the door for
therapies designed to reduce body
fat. When fat cells are subjected to
sustained pressure, they develop more
fat. So-called 'cellular expansion,' which
basically centres on your backside, most
often comes from sitting for long periods
of time. The resulting chronic pressure
leads to an increase in lipid droplets and
molecules that carry fats. The fat cells
expand by as much as 50%, becoming
stiffer and crowding out and deforming
nearby cells. In many cases, the increase
in fat cell size and form can set a person
on the road to obesity. The agency report
is available here.
In the UK a campaign is currently
running (see newspaper advert on the
right) alerting people to the dangers of
sitting around too much and encouraging
them to do more exercise. Research has
shown that even if you spend an hour
every night in the gym, prolonged periods
of inactivity are still bad for your health.
The way the body deals with sugars
and fats when sitting down has been
linked to increased risk of diabetes and
heart disease, and with some people
now sitting for 12 hours a day, whether
at work, watching TV or in a car, we are
the most sedentary humans in history
and we are literally sitting on a time bomb
(though with the current obesity statistics,
it's already gone off).
If you sit for more than 23 hours per
week you are 64% more likely to die of
heart disease. However, the constant
muscle activity of standing allows
the body to keep blood sugar levels
stable, which is proven to help maintain
concentration and focus. Winston
Churchill, Ernest Hemingway, Benjamin
Franklin and Leonardo da Vinci were all
famous advocates of standing desks.*
One interesting take on this which
address exactly how much many of us
now sit at desks all day is the Varidesk,
which is adjustable in height and lets you
sit or stand as you wish so you can vary
your working style.
*Sources: about.com Ergonomics, The BBC,
The Economist